My adventures with Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads continued yesterday with the making of Scottish Buttermilk Bread. With this loaf I was forced to acknowledge that if I'm going to work my way through all of the recipes in the book, I'm going to make loaves that don't suit my needs, that is, aren't standard loaves of bread appropriate for toast, sandwiches, etc.
Clayton describes Scottish Buttermilk Bread as being "closely akin to Irish soda bread. Both are delicious, though there are no raisins or currants in this loaf as may be found in the Irish." As I've never had Irish soda bread, I had no idea what to expect.
This is the first recipe I've encountered that required a foray to the grocery store before I could bake as buttermilk is not something I normally keep on hand. The recipe called for 3/4 cup or 3 tablespoons buttermilk powder in 3/4 cup water. Buttermilk powder? I'd never heard of such a thing, but since I will need buttermilk for future recipes, it seemed to make more sense to buy that than fresh buttermilk. Lo and behold, a miracle occurred and Safeway in Valdez actually had this oddity in the baking aisle. I didn't even check to see if they had fresh buttermilk.
Scottish Buttermilk Bread was the easiest recipe I've made so far. It required minimal mixing, no kneading, and no rising. I once again lowered my oven temperature 25 degrees below the recommended temp (no, I haven't gotten an oven thermometer yet) and baked the loaf for the lesser of the recommended times. It came out perfectly. At least, I assume so since I have nothing to compare it to. The loaf was light with a slightly crunchy crust. It was delicious hot out of the oven with butter and a drizzle of honey, and this morning made for excellent toast with our eggs.
If I make it again, I think I will add raisins, just for fun. It would be great with coffee or hot chocolate for breakfast. The loaf didn't call for an egg-milk wash like I used on the Egg Harbor Bread, but I think that would have made it prettier. I like the shine the bread gets with such a wash. Another potential change for the next time.
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